Gingham and Plaid: Classic or a Trend?

I like to joke that well-dressed men in New York have a weekend uniform of jeans and stylish plaid shirts. I'm not complaining — I've been conditioned to approve of this look — but it does make me wary of incorporating plaid in the interior, wondering if it's just a fad that will soon go the way of the pleat-front khaki (HOW was that ever ok?!).

As savvy and responsible consumers, we should all aspire to decorate with things that won't be out of style in 6 months. But are hot patterns like gingham and plaid too classic to be dismissed as a fad?

Gingham can sometimes come across as too sweet or rustic, but these images show that it has a distinctly sophisticated side, which makes me feel better about wearing my gingham blouse in a non-picnic setting.

So consider the images and weigh in: are gingham and plaid trendy? Or timeless?